The Story of AJ Andrews: A Riverdale Fanfiction
by SusanBenson2812
Summary: It's not easy being the half-sister of Archie Andrews. Luckily, Avery Jordan Andrews or A.J. as she is known to those closest to her has the love and support that she needs from her dad and stepmom as well as her longtime best friend Abby. What will happen though when A.J. uncovers a dark secret from her dad's past that could ultimately put her life in grave danger?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Archie! A.J.! Breakfast is on the table!"

Avery Jordan Andrews or A.J. to those closest to her pulled on her favorite Marvel Avengers t-shirt and after pairing it with a simple pair of denim shorts and her favorite pair of black and white vans, she tied her dark hair up in a simple ponytail and made sure that the silver locket she always wore was in its proper place around her neck before heading downstairs to the kitchen, the family dog Vegas right on her heels.

A.J. entered the kitchen to find her dad Fred and her red-haired half-brother Archie sitting down to a simple breakfast of bacon and eggs. A.J. hated to miss eating breakfast with her dad and Archie since it had been something the 3 of them had done all summer but her longtime best friend and next-door neighbor, Abby Smith-Jones, had sent her a text last night requesting that the two of them meet at Pop's at 8 the next morning for breakfast because she needed to talk to her about something important.

"Morning, peanut. You headed out somewhere?"

"Yeah. Abby texted me last night asking me to meet her at Pop's this morning so I won't be able to join you and Arch for breakfast today."

Fred nodded his head in response.

Unlike some of the other parents in the small quaint town of Riverdale where the trio resided, Fred Andrews didn't try to force either of his children to spend time with him.

"Well, say hi to Abby for us and please be careful, okay? Jason Blossom is still missing and I would hate it if anything bad were to happen to you, sweetheart."

After promising her dad that she would be careful and exchanging a hug with him as well as a fist bump with her half-brother, A.J. grabbed her backpack and made sure she had her fully charged phone in her pocket before exiting the two-story house she lived in with her dad and Archie.

As A.J. walked down the driveway and got ready to walk to Pop's, she couldn't help but notice Alice and Hal Cooper, her family's next door neighbors as well the parents of her best friend's 2 older half-sisters, standing outside on their front step. It looked like they were arguing about something. A.J. knew from Abby that the Coopers argued quite a bit and that a lot of their arguments were usually about her and how Hal hadn't wanted her in his house due to her being the result of a brief affair that had occurred between Alice and Fred's longtime best friend FP Jones.

A.J. had known FP her entire life and had always thought of him like an uncle. She was also pretty close to his son Jughead who was around the same age as her half-brother. Jughead had always been super protective of both A.J. and Abby when they were younger. He had protected the two girls from bullies and guys like Chuck Clayton and Reggie Mantle.

As she continued on her walk to Pop's, A.J. started to think once again about something that had been a complete mystery to her for pretty much her whole life: the identity of her biological mother. All she knew about her biological mother even now at 15 years old was that her mother whoever she was had left her with her dad and her stepmother who was also Archie's mom, Mary when she was just a few days old for reasons that were still unknown to her. Her dad and Mary had never provided any answers for her and by the time she was 11 years old, she'd just stopped asking them about her biological mother. That didn't mean that she didn't still wonder about the woman that had given birth to her then ultimately abandoned her.

In a big way, A.J. had gotten pretty lucky by having Mary Andrews as her stepmother. Before her move to Chicago a couple of years back, Mary had always treated A.J. with the same motherly love and kindness that she had bestowed upon her own son. She was always there if A.J. needed a mother figure to turn to and even though she now resided in a completely different state, Mary still did her best to be there for A.J. and the teen could have not been more thankful that her stepmother didn't treat her the way that she knew her best friend's own stepmom treated her when she was around.

A.J. didn't realize it at that particular moment but her life would soon be turned upside down and she would be struggling to understand a lot of things that she was not currently aware of.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It had been a little over a month since the lifeless body of Jason Blossom complete with a bullet hole through his forehead had washed up onto the shore of Sweetwater River and was discovered by none other than Kevin Keller, the teen son of Riverdale's very own Sheriff. A.J. wasn't exactly looking forward to the first day of her freshman year at Riverdale High on Monday. Things had become rocky between her and her half-brother over the past couple of weeks and she didn't quite understand why that was considering that she and Archie had always been super close. It made A.J. yearn for the old days when she, Archie, Jughead, Betty and even Abby were still kids free to run and play together without a care in the world.

A.J. suspected that the arrival of the new girl, Veronica Lodge who, according to what Betty had shared with both Abby and A.J., had moved from New York City to Riverdale with her mother who was hoping for a fresh start away from Veronica's cruel father might have had something to do with her brother's drastic change in mood and behavior. A.J. didn't exactly get along with the raven haired girl at first but over the past week, she along with both Abby and Betty had each come to realize that there were a lot more layers to Veronica than the 3 girls may have originally realized. Veronica had even introduced the trio to her mom who was currently working as a waitress at Pop's the previous week and while she did like the the older Latina woman, A.J. still couldn't help but feel a strange yet strong connection to Hermione Lodge. She eventually just chalked it up to her missing her stepmom Mary more than usual since a brand new school year was starting in less than a week and not being to go on their annual back-to-school girls only shopping trip like they had done every year since A.J. was in first grade. The teen decided to ask her dad if she could call her stepmother and talk to her for a bit since she had always felt better after talking to Mary about whatever issue she was facing before the 2 adults had divorced the previous year and had gone their separate ways.

Fred was more than happy to allow A.J. to call and talk with his ex-wife. He and Mary had parted on good terms and he was glad that the woman he was no longer married to still continued to take an interest in being there for his daughter when she needed an older female to talk to. His next door neighbor and one of his oldest friends in the world, Alice Cooper, had told A.J. a few years ago that she would always be there for her anytime she needed to talk to someone or if she just wanted to spend time at her house and while A.J. had always been grateful for the kindness that the older blonde woman had always shown to her, she didn't feel very comfortable around Betty's dad, Hal, for reasons that she never quite understood herself.

Fortunately, Mary was completely free to talk with A.J. that night when she called her at her apartment in Chicago and the teen was surprised to learn that the older woman hadn't forgotten about their annual back to school shopping trip and that she had actually gone out and bought A.J. a nice outfit to wear on her first day as a freshman at Riverdale High School and had had it shipped to her via UPS. According to what Mary was currently telling A.J., the outfit she had bought for her should arrive at the Andrews residence tomorrow afternoon between 1 and 1:30.

"I'll make sure to be on the lookout for the UPS truck tomorrow. Thanks, Mary."

_"You're very welcome, sweetie. I figured it was the least I could do to make up for the fact that I can't be there for our back to school girls only shopping trip."_

"It really does helps. Mary, could I ask you one last quick question before I let Archie talk to you?"

_"Of course, honey. You know that you can always talk to me about anything. I may not be living in Riverdale anymore but I'm always going to be here for you."_

"I know that, Mary. What I wanted to ask you about though is how did you first know that you had feelings for Dad?"

_"Why do you ask, honey? Do you have a crush on someone?"_

"I- I think I do, Mary. I know I do. I'm just afraid to say anything to the person that I like about how I feel because he's a friend of Archie's and I don't wanna make things weird between us."

_'"Would this boy that you have a crush on be Jughead Jones by any chance, A.J.?" _

A.J. could understand why her stepmother thought that she was talking about the raven-haired beanie-wearing teen that had been her half-brother's best friend since forever.

"Jughead's actually not the guy that I have a crush on, Mary. He's like another brother to me and he's actually dating Betty Cooper. They seem really happy together and I wouldn't wanna ruin that."

_"Well in that case A.J., all I can really tell you is that you should tell this young man that you have feelings for that you like him. If he doesn't feel the same way towards you, then he's not worth your time or attention. It might hurt if he rejects you, A.J., but you're an amazing and very sweet girl and you deserve someone that will appreciate you and love you just as much as your dad and I do."_

A.J. feels tears welling up in her chocolate brown at hearing Mary tell her that she loves her. It was just further proof for her that she had gotten extremely lucky by having Mary as her stepmother.

"I love you too, Mary. I'm gonna hand the phone to Archie so you and he can talk. I'll talk to you again soon, okay?"

_"Okay, sweetheart. Please tell Abby, Betty and their mom I said hi."_

"I will. Bye, Mary."

_"Bye, honey."_

**I know that this chapter wasn't very eventful but I mostly wanted to establish that A.J. and Mary really do have a good relationship with each other and that A.J. is grateful to have Mary as her stepmother. The next chapter will hopefully be a lot more interesting since it will begin on A.J. and Archie's first day of school.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It was finally the first day of school and A.J. couldn't stop herself from feeling extremely nervous. After all, it _was_ not only her first day as a student of Riverdale High but also her very first day of high school.

A.J.'s alarm clock woke her up at 6:00 am sharp and after taking a quick shower, she pulled on the outift that her stepmom, Mary, had bought and mailed to her the previous week for her first day of school. The outfit consisted of a pair of skinny jeans and a striped blouse that A.J. paired with a pair of white socks and her black and white vans.

She styled her hair in a simple but still cute French braid and applied a bit of mascara and lip gloss. Exiting her bedroom, A.J. poked her head into her half-brother's room to see if he was awake yet. Archie wasn't in his room so A.J. just figured he had already left for early football practice before school. Archie was now on the team and A.J. couldn't have been more proud of her big brother. She was all too aware that their dad felt the exact same way she did. She made her way downstairs to the kitchen where she found her dad sitting at the small table drinking his usual cup of morning coffee and reading the newspaper before heading to work at the construction company that was founded by A.J.'s paternal grandfather Artie years before she was born and her dad was now the proud owner and operator of.

A.J's stomach was currently a jumbled mess due to first-day-of-school-jitters so she just opted for a couple slices of toast with peanut butter for her breakfast along with a glass of orange juice. By the time she had finished the toast and juice, her dad was getting ready to walk out the door and asked her if she'd like him to drop her off at school on his way into work. A.J. smiled at her dad's offer and eagerly accepted after sending Abby a quick text telling her that she'd meet her in front of the school in about 15 minutes.

Fred joined his daughter in his truck after making sure their house was locked up securely. The drive to the high school was quiet for the most part with the exception of a bit of small talk between father and daughter.

Before A.J. realized it, they had arrived at the school. After giving her dad a quick kiss on the cheek and reminding him that she would be paying him a visit at the construction site later that afternoon once the school day was over, the dark-haired girl climbed down from the cab of the pickup and headed towards her best friend who was waiting for her right by the main door.

The two girls exchanged greetings and waved at Fred as he was driving away before making their way inside. Once inside, they made their way to the main office to get their schedules for the semester.

**(jump to about 3:45 pm that same day)**

A.J.'s first day of high school had come to an end without a hitch and she was currently sitting in the backseat of Alice Cooper's station wagon on her way to Andrews Construction. The older blonde had offered to drop her off when she came to pick up Abby so that the dark-haired teen wouldn't have to walk there.

Finally arriving at their destination, A.J. thanked Alice for giving her a ride and told Abby that she'd text her later before making her way to the small trailer that her dad used for his office. When she made her way inside, she wasn't all that surprised to see both Abby's dad and hers discussing what looked like a set of blue prints sprawled across the surface of Fred's desk. What did surprise her though was the raven-haired woman she immediately recognized as Veronica Lodge's mom sitting at the desk that her dad's secratary normally occupied.

Before she could question why Mrs. Lodge was there though, Fred noticed her and came over to greet her, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Hey, peanut. How was your first day of high school?"

"It was good. I like most of my classes except for gym. Most of my teachers are pretty cool too."

Fred smiles before glancing over at Hermoine who was doing her best to keep from tearing up at the sweet exchange between the father and daughter pair.

"Um, why don't I take a short break and we'll go to Pop's for a milkshake to celebrate you getting through your first day of school?"

"Sounds great, dad. I'll be outside in the truck, okay?"

Fred nods his head and waits until the trailer door slammed shut behind his daughter before turning back towards Hermoine just in time to see her blinking away tears that she seemed to be afraid to allow to fall from her eyes.

"You okay, Hermoine?"

Hermoine started to nod but couldn't bring herself to do so and turned her head away from Fred so that he wouldn't see her finally letting a few tears trickle down her face.

Fred did see though and he couldn't stop himself from walking over to Hermoine and squatting down next to her chair and using his thumbs to gently wipe away her tears.

Once he had successfully wiped her tears away, Fred pulled Hermoine into his arms and silently held her as she began to sob uncontrollably. He knew Hermoine well enough to know that it was best to wait patiently until she had stopped to attempt to talk to her.

Once Hermoine had calmed down enough to be able to speak, she looked up at Fred and gave him a small smile.

"Thanks for that, Fred. I-I guess I just got a little overwhelmed at how close you and A.J. seem to be."

"A.J. and I may be closer than most fathers are with their daughters but that doesn't stop her from wishing she had an equally close relationship with her biological mother."

Hermoine's heart hurt at hearing that A.J. wished she had a relationship with her birth mother but what made her heart hurt even more is knowing that the teen didn't even know that her mother was so much closer than she realized.

"Fred, I think it's time that I make my true identity known to A.J. I just can't pretend anymore. A.J. deserves to know that I am her biological mother."

Fred nodded his head in response to what Hermoine was saying. He had always felt guilty for hiding the truth from his daughter but he had known for the past 15 and a half years that the fewer people that knew that Hermoine was A.J.'s mother, the better,

What the couple didn't realize though is that A.J. had overheard every word and that she was currently trying to get as far away from the construction site as she could.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

A.J.'s cell phone had been going off almost non-stop from its place in her jeans pocket since she had made her way from her dad's work to the banks of Sweetwater River hours ago. She wasn't entirely sure just how she had managed to make it all the way to the river without being seen by anyone she knew or how long she had even been there and at the moment, she honestly didn't really care.

It had began to rain at some point after she had first arrived at the river and although she was soaked to the bone, A.J. barely registered how hard her body was shaking from the chill that accompanied the pouring rain she was attempting to shield herself from as she huddled under a tree, her knees drawn tightly against her chest and tears streaming down her face.

Out of nowhere, A.J. saw a bright beam of light making its way towards her. She forced her body to remain frozen in place as the beam of light kept getting closer and closer to where she was still huddling under the tree.

"A.J.?! A.J., thank God we finally found you!"

A.J. recognized the voice immediately. It was none other than Jughead Jones, Archie's beanie-wearing best friend, her own best friend's half-brother and the boyfriend of Betty Cooper. He was as soaked to the bone as A.J. was which told her that he must have been out here looking for her for a while.

"Jug! Jug, where are you, man?!"

A.J. recognized her brother's frantic voice and tried to stand up but failed due to her knees being cramped from sitting in the same spot for so long.

"Over here, Arch! I found A.J.! She's okay!"

A.J. sees the redhead running toward her. He's just as soaked as herself and Jughead. Her heart breaks at the mix of worry and fear on his face as he rushes over and envelopes her in a bone-crushing bear hug. A.J. wraps her own arms around Archie and buries her freshly tear-streaked face in the collar of his new varsity jacket that unbeknowest to her, he had received earlier that same day from Coach Clayton.

Jughead waits a moment or two before pointing out to the 2 half-siblings that they should head back to their house before their parents worry themselves to death more than they already are. A.J. felt a huge pang of guilt at the thought of having worried her dad like this. She hadn't meant to do that. She hadn't been thinking earlier that afternoon when she had taken off after learning that Veronica's mom was also her mother too.

As they made their way back to where Archie had parked their dad's truck a short distance away from where Jughead had ended up finding her, A.J. asked her half-brother if he thought that their dad would be angry at her running away like she did.

Archie wrapped his arm around his half-sister's shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

"I think that Dad will just be glad that you're okay, A.J. He looked so scared earlier when he and Veronica's mom were trying to explain that you had gone missing. I have never seen him look that scared before."

"I didn't mean to scare him like I did, Arch. I swear to God that I didn't."

"It's okay, sis. It's ok. I know that you didn't mean to. Let's just get home, ok?"

On the drive back to the Andrews house, A.J. wound up falling asleep in her seat between Archie and Jughead, her head resting on the latter's denim-clad shoulder.

Once they arrive back at the Andrews residence, Jughead shook A..J. awake and the teen trio made their way inside where they found not only Fred and Hermoine waiting but Abby, FP, and Alice as well.

Abby was the first to embrace A.J., grateful beyond words that she was okay. A.J. apologized to her best friend and both Alice and FP for any worry she caused them by running off. Alice wrapped her arms around the dark-haired girl and assured her that she wasn't angry at her.

"Just promise me that you won't scare any of us like that again, honey. Your dad was freaking out worse than he did that time you and Abby both fell asleep up in Archie's treehouse when you were 6."

"I promise, Auntie Alice. Again, I'm really sorry for causing all of you to worry so badly."

After both Abby and Alice had left and gone back to their home next door, FP decided that he and Jughead should be heading home too. A.J. had gone upstairs right after Alice and Abby had left so that she could take a hot shower leaving Fred and Hermoine in the kitchen alone.

Fred looked over at Hermoine who was standing in front of the sink fighting the urge to burst into tears once again. He walked over to the raven-haired woman and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and resting his cheek against the top of her head. Hermoine turned around in Fred's arms and buried her face in his shirt as she began to cry for what felt to her like the thousandth time that day.

Fred cupped the back of Hermoine's head with one hand while running the other up and down her back in a soothing manner and whispering soothing words into her ear.

"Dad?"

Fred looked up to see A.J. standing in the doorway of their kitchen. She was now dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt that he immediately recognized as an old one of Archie's due to how large it was on her small frame. Vegas was at her side, having appointed himself as her temporary bodyguard after what had happened earlier that day.

Hermoine had quickly removed herself from Fred's arms at the sound of A.J.'s voice albeit relunctantly. She didn't want to cause waves with A.J. any more than she knew she already had.

"What is it, peanut?"

"I know it's kinda late but I was just wondering if you could maybe make me one of your famous grilled cheese sandwiches that you always make for me and Archie whenever we're sick."

Fred smiled at A.J.'s request and immediately agreed to make her a grilled cheese. A.J. thanked him before turning to look at the woman she now knew to be her birth mother.

"Do you think it would be alright if the two of us talk in the living room while Dad is making me my sandwich? I promise that I'm not gonna scream at you or anything like that. I just wanna talk."

Hermoine looked over at Fred who nodded his head silently at her before turning to gather everything he would need to make their daughter a grilled cheese sandwich. She turned back to A.J. who was still standing in the doorway waiting for an answer from her.

"Of course, honey. I know you probably have some questions for me and I think it's time that I finally give you the answers you deserve from me."

**Next: Hermoine and A.J.'s conversation as well as Archie & Veronica's reaction to the news that they share a half-sibling with one another.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

While Fred remained in the kitchen preparing a grilled cheese for A.J., she and Hermione made their way into the living room and settled themselves on the couch. A.J. was still feeling slightly chilly even after the hot shower she'd taken earlier so she grabbed the worn afghan that was usually kept on the back of the couch and tucked it around herself before turning her head to look at Hermione who was feeling very nervous.

"Okay. My first question is did you even want to keep me after I was born or did you just see me as a mistake that you had made and wanted to get rid of as soon as you could?"

Hermione's heart broke at the question that her youngest daughter had just asked her and she had a hard time forcing the tears that were threatening to spill over to stay put. She reached out tentatively and gently took A.J.'s hand into her own. To her surprise, A.J. didn't pull her hand away.

"Of course I wanted to keep you, honey. You are my daughter the same as Veronica. I love you the same as I love her. My love for you is actually the reason I chose to leave you here in Riverdale with your dad and Mary when you were just a tiny baby."

"Why _did_ you decide to leave me here with Dad and Mary?"

Hermione took a deep breath before explaining to A.J. that at the time that she had been pregnant with her, she had been married to a man who was very cruel and hurtful towards her and that he would have not hesitated to find some way to use her to hurt her.

"So, you left me here with Dad and Mary as a way to try to keep me safe and protected?"

Hermione nodded as she attempted a small smile.

"I knew that your dad would never allow anyone to hurt you so I contacted him a few days after I had given birth to you and asked him to take you and to never tell you anything about me until the time came that it was safe for me to tell you myself. I realize that it may not have been the wisest thing to do at the time but I wanted to do everything that I could do to make sure that you were as safe and happy as possible."

A.J. could see the genuine pain and hurt etched on her mother's face and it made her realize that she shouldn't be too angry with the older Latina. Hermione had done what she had genuinely believed was best for her at the time and despite the fact that she hated not knowing who she was until now, A.J. couldn't bring herself to hate her.

"Do, um do you think that you and I could maybe spend some one on one time together? Get to know each other a little bit better?"

Hermione couldn't help but smile at A.J.'s request to spend time with her. It was something she hadn't expected to happen.

"Of course, honey. I would love to spend time with you. I'm looking forward to finally getting to know my baby girl."

A.J. smiled at her mother before shifting closer to her and wrapping her arms around Hermione, taking the older Latina by surprise. Fred who had been listening to most of the conversation between his daughter and the woman he had been in love with for years chose that moment to enter the living room, a plate with the grilled cheese sandwich his daughter had asked him to make for her in his hand. A.J. and Hermione pulled away from their embrace and turned to look at him.

"Here's your grilled cheese, peanut. Sorry it took me so long to make it but I had to search through the whole fridge just to find the cheese."

A.J. smiled at her dad as she accepted the plate from him and began to devour the sandwich he had prepared for her. As she sat on the couch in between her parents while the three of them proceeded to watch a random crime show, she couldn't help but notice out of the corner of her eye the way that Fred and Hermione would take turns glancing at each other before looking away the second one noticed the other watching them. She turned to look at her father.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"When do you think would probably be the best time to tell Archie and Veronica about Mom, you know, being my mom?"

Hermione could feel tears welling up in her eyes once again but she forced them to remain where they were as she wrapped one arm around A.J.'s shoulders and pulled her closer to her before pressing a kiss against her dark hair that was the same color as her own and that of her older daughter.

"I can talk to Veronica myself in the morning."

"And I can talk with Archie tomorrow morning also."

Hermione glanced at her watch and after seeing that it was almost 10 pm, realized that she should head back to the Pembrooke.

"I guess I should head home. Why don't you come by your dad's work tomorrow after school, A.J.? I'll be working until 4 o'clock and once I finish my shift, maybe you and I can do something fun together."

A.J. smiled at her mother and nodded in agreement with her suggestion.

"I'd really like that. I think I'm gonna head upstairs to bed now. Dad, would it be alright if Vegas stayed in my room with me tonight? After everything that happened today, I could really use him sleeping in my room with me tonight."

"Of course, peanut."

A.J. exchanged one last hug with both Fred and Hermione before making her way upstairs, Vegas right behind her. The two adults were then left alone in the living room, the tension between them very evident.

"I'd better head out now but I'll see you tomorrow at work, Fred."

"G'night, Hermione. Please text me when you get home so I'll know that you made it there safely."

Hermione smiled at Fred's genuine concern for her safety. That was just one of the many ways he and her ex-husband were complete opposites. Hiram was always more concerned about himself whereas Fred always put those he cared about most before himself. It was just one of the many reasons she had fallen in love with him so many years ago.

"I will."

As Hermione drove herself back to the Pembrooke, she couldn't help but think and worry about how Veronica would react when she came clean to her about being A.J.'s mother. Veronica had always been a Daddy's girl growing up and she hated the idea of her elder daughter possibly hating her for the affair she'd had with Fred that had resulted in A.J.'s conception and birth. She knew deep down that she wouldn't change the fact that she and Fred had slept together all those years ago because if they hadn't, they wouldn't have had A.J. and she knew for a fact that Fred couldn't imagine his life without their daughter as a part of it.

After finally arriving at the Pembrooke and making her way inside, Hermione checked on Veronica who was sleeping soundly in her bed before making her way into her own room and began to get ready for bed herself.

Once she'd dressed in her favorite silk pajamas and settled beneath her warm and thick comforter, Hermione grabbed her phone from her bedside table where she had placed it earlier and quickly sent a text to Fred, letting him know that she had made it home safely and was about to try to get some sleep.

Fred's response was almost immediate.

**F: Glad to hear that you got home safely, Mione. I'm about to try and get some sleep myself. I just want to check in on A.J. and Archie one more time first.**

**H: Give A.J. a kiss good night for me?**

**F: Will do. I'm really glad that we finally came clean to A.J. She deserves to know that her mother is just as amazing and wonderful a person as she is.**

Hermione couldn't help smile as she read Fred's sweet text.

**H: Thank you for saying that, Fred, but I think our daughter is as amazing and wonderful as she is because of you not me.**

**F: You are an amazing woman and mother, Hermione Gomez. I am very proud that you are A.J.'s mother. There's no one else that I'd want to be her mother.**

Hermione couldn't help but feel all warm inside from Fred's words. For the longest time after she'd left A.J. with him and Mary, she had felt like she was a horrible person and an even more horrible mother. The fact that she had been and was still hiding the fact that Hiram had begun to physically, emotionally and mentally abuse her around the time Veronica was 10 years old was still affecting her even now.

**H: Thank you for saying that, Fred. It really helps. It's getting late so I'd better get off here and get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning though.**

**F: Sounds good. See you tomorrow, Mione. Sweet dreams.**

**H: You too, Fred. Good night.**

**F: Night.**

After plugging her phone up to charge during the night, Hermione climbed underneath her comforter and settled in. As she slowly began to drift off to sleep, Hermione couldn't help but wonder how her older daughter would react the next morning when she revealed to her that she had had an affair while she was still married to her ex husband and that A.J. had been born as a result of said affair.


End file.
